New Street Law returns

THE truth is out there somewhere as Manchester's top legal minds return for a new series of fresh court battles. New Street Law (BBC1, Wednesday, 9pm)begins where it left off last year. After his arrest for perverting the course of justice, barrister Jack Roper (John Hannah) is out on bail and aiming to avoid a prison sentence.

Taking a break from filming, Hannah accepts some viewers struggled with early episodes in the first series.

"In all honesty, you're setting up a multi-character show and it takes time to build that and for the audience to know who the characters are and for the writers to find the strength of those chartacters and the style of the story," he explains.

"I think, early on, that wavered a bit. Towards the end of the first series I think they'd sussed out how it worked.

"Now there's a greater simplicity in terms of what's going on."

John says more is revealed about crusader Jack in the drama, made by Manchester's Red Production Company.

"There is one more huge skeleton in the closet that comes out in the second series. It's to do with the Scammel family and Jack, why we initially went our own ways."

Family time

There was just a six week gap between filming of the first and second series of New Street Law, but not much time for John to see actress wife Joanna Roth and their, now, three-year-old twins.

"I was actually back in Manchester filming a second Cold Blood story, which was really invigorating.

A change was as good as a rest. So I came back on this quite fired up again."

That ITV1 drama, again co-starring Jemma Redgrave and Matthew Kelly, will be screened next month.

But first Jack Roper has some unfinished business this week with New Street Law's Laura.

"The course of short term lust never does run smooth," smiles John.

The legal series, which guest stars Jennifer Ellison as football agent Bethany Taylor in the first episode, has also sparked his interest in the law.

Intrigue

"The system that we have is much fairer than it would appear, especially given a lot of the checks and balances that have been put in place since cases like the Birmingham Six and the Guildford Four. Overall, I think the system we have isn't bad."

Jack's gay head clerk Al Ware is again played by Chorlton-based Chris Gascoyne, known to millions as Peter Barlow in Coronation Street.

Al is joined in this series by screen partner Steve, a role taken by another Weatherfield favourite - Swinton actor Rob James-Collier, who plays Underworld factory boss Liam Connor.

Al finds himself on the wrong side of the law accused of murder in episode five, filmed before Rob left for his new life on the cobbles.

"It starts off with Steve lying on the carpet with blood all round his head and Al is sat there drunk and can't remember what happened," reveals Chris.

"Steve works for a computer company and gets sacked amid allegations of sexual harassment from his married boss and Charlie deals a little bit with the case.

"Steve can be quite a bitter, vengeful, kind of character."

The cobbled street

Did Chris give Rob any advice about joining Corrie? "No, he had to find out for himself," he laughs

"I think this new series is really good. They've dropped one of the court cases and made it less complicated, with more interaction between the characters."

After filming finished, Chris returned to Weatherfield as the storyline involving his screen sister Tracy and builder Charlie Stubbs reached its own murderous climax.

"I always said I'd go back if they wanted me," explained Chris, whose character took an on screen beating from Charlie before the bully boy builder was killed.

"I was asked every day in the street when I was going back to Corrie. I enjoy doing it and I am grateful to Coronation Street. You can't not be. It is what it is, a fantastic programme - I grew up watching it."

For all the latest news from the world of television, check out Ian Wylie's blog, The Life of Wylie .